Stay ahead: Elections and your portfolio. UBS Investor Watch

As the US midterm elections approach, investors and business owners are keeping a close watch on the economic and policy issues that could shape their financial futures. While both groups remain cautiously optimistic, many are looking for clarity on how election outcomes may influence markets, businesses and personal wealth.

Two perspectives on the road ahead

Explore the findings in our two new Investor Watch reports: Cautious optimism, which examines investor sentiment, and Business as usual?, which examines business owners' perspectives.

For investors: Cautious optimism

For business owners: Business as usual?

Watch UBS Trending as our experts unpack the latest UBS Investor Watch findings and what they reveal about investors’ and business owners’ top economic concerns ahead of the election.

Investors’ outlook for US economy

64 %
highly optimistic, up from 55% in 2024

Business owners’ outlook for US economy

71 %
highly optimistic, up from 65% in 2024

Top 5 midterm election issues for investors and business owners

For investors

% highly important in the upcoming election

This bar chart shows the percentage of investors who consider selected issues highly important in the upcoming midterm elections, comparing 2026 with 2024. The economy ranks as the top issue, cited by 88% of investors, up from 84% in 2024. Healthcare is the second-highest concern at 81%, up from 66%, followed by Social Security at 78%, up from 71%. Taxes rank fourth at 76%, compared with 69% in 2024, while the U.S. national debt ranks fifth at 73%, up from 65%. Concern levels increased across all five issues compared with 2024.

For business owners

% highly important in the upcoming election

This bar chart shows the percentage of business owners who consider selected issues highly important in the upcoming midterm elections, comparing 2026 with 2024. The economy ranks as the top issue, cited by 89% of business owners, up from 83% in 2024. Taxes are the second-highest concern at 83%, up from 74%, followed by healthcare at 81%, up from 69%. Education ranks fourth at 80%, compared with 63% in 2024, while Social Security ranks fifth at 79%, up from 77%. Concern levels increased across all five issues compared with 2024.